Vehicles have a tendency to become stuck or bogged down when operating in mud, snow, sand and other materials. A winch can be used to free the vehicle. With the proliferation off-road and all terrain vehicles it is possible to have such a vehicle equipped with a self-contained winch. These winches are typically permanently mounted on an axle or attached to a drive wheel using the wheel lug bolts. Winches mounted via lug bolts are usually removable, and it is desirable to remove the winch when its use is not anticipated to present a more aesthetically appealing wheel. However, removing the winch is usually cumbersome. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that it would be highly desirable to have a permanent winch that is aesthetically appealing and does not have to be removed.
Winches mounted using lug bolts sometimes require replacing factory lug bolts with bolts that are longer than the original equipment lug bolts to accommodate the thickness of the winch attachments. These longer bolts complicate the process of removing the winch when its use is not anticipated because the shorter, factory lug bolts have to be installed again. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that it would be highly desirable to have a winch that does not attach using the lug bolts and can be easily readied for use.